STORY: "Not a Cloud in the Sky" (38 pages)  The Gamesmaster uses mind control to make the X-Men believe that they are living in a paradise, but is defeated by Joseph, who remembers the real world.

What you need to know:
Oddly enough, the final appearance for the Gamesmaster, who has a drastic change of tack here.  Before he's just amused himself acting as a referee for other supervillains, but now he's messing about with the perceptions of the X-Men - and the population of Salem Center - apparently for no better reason than to see how they'll react.  He suggests near the end that the whole plan might just be an attempt to manipulate Joseph, but he could be lying about that as well.

The Gamesmaster's power levels are a bit up in the air.  He can manipulate everyone in the town except for Joseph and (to some extent) Wolverine, both of whom have doubts.  He also needs to imprison Phoenix, since she's far more powerful than him.  He also claims to be powerful enough to turn off Rogue's powers (consistent with the long-running idea that her problems are psychological rather than physical), and he's apparently able to shut off Cyclops' optic beam so that he doesn't need a visor (but that might just be an illusion).

The Gamesmaster also claims that he can extend the paradise to the whole world, and offers to do so if Joseph kills Gambit.  Quite why he'd want Gambit dead is a bit of a mystery, but it may simply be an attempt to corrupt Joseph.  In any event, Joseph says no, and according to Phoenix, Gamesmaster never had the power to deliver on his promise in the first place.

Joseph is quite obviously jealous of Gambit and Rogue's relationship, continuing the romantic triangle story. 

Gambit openly admits that if he'd been offered the same deal by the Gamesmaster, he might well have killed Joseph.

Comments:
It's a late nineties annual, so it's a fill-in story.  But at least it's a fill-in story by John Francis Moore and Steve Epting, who are a good team, and deliver a reasonably entertaining yarn with a decent premise.  The Gamesmaster is the weak link here, reinvented as one of those irritating "enigmatic schemer" characters who really just does whatever the plot demands of him.  On the other hand, he makes a good foil for Joseph, who carries the weight of the story.  It's not exactly subtle, but it's a solid story and quite good fun - as good as you can reasonably expect from the annuals by this point. 

If you're wondering why this story is placed so close to X-Men '96, it's because it has to take place before the Operation: Zero Tolerance crossover (Gambit and Bishop are there, and the Mansion is intact).  But OZT continued directly from the previous storyline, and so this is the nearest gap available.  It's way out of publication order, but it's as close as it's going to get.

FEATURE CHARACTERS
Cyclops and Phoenix III (both last in the second story in X-Man '96; Phoenix next in Cable #43-44, then both in X-Man #25, then Phoenix in Uncanny X-Men '97 and Cyclops in Cable #44, then both in Wolverine vol 2 #111, then Phoenix in Wolverine vol 2 #112-114, then both in Uncanny X-Men #342, then in X-Men vol 2 #62)
Storm (last in Incredible Hulk vol 2 #455; next in Cable #41-42, then in X-Men Unlimited vol 1 #14, then in Uncanny X-Men '97, then in Wolverine vol 2 #111 and #113-114, then in Uncanny X-Men #342, then in X-Men vol 2 #62)
Cannonball (last in Beast #3; next in Uncanny X-Men '97, then in Wolverine vol 2 #111, then in New Mutants: Truth or Death #1-3, then in Uncanny X-Men #341-342, then in X-Men vol 2 #62)
Wolverine (last in Incredible Hulk vol 2 #455; next in Wolverine vol 2 #111-114, then in Psylocke & Archangel: Crimson Dawn #1, then in Uncanny X-Men #342, then in issue #62)
The Beast (last in Silver Surfer vol 3 #123; next in X-Men Unlimited vol 1 #14, then in Wolverine vol 2 #111, then in Uncanny X-Men #341-345 and #347-350, then in X-Men vol 2 #70)
Joseph (last in X-Man '96; next in X-Men Unlimited vol 1 #14, then in Uncanny X-Men #341-345 and #347-350, then in X-Men vol 2 #70)
Rogue (last in Silver Surfer vol 3 #123; next in X-Man #23, then in Uncanny X-Men #341-345 and #347-350, then in X-Men vol 2 #70)
Archangel (last in X-Men vol 2 #61; next in X-Force vol 1 #67, then in Psylocke & Archangel: Crimson Dawn #1-4, then in Uncanny X-Men #348-350 and #352, then in X-Men Unlimited vol 1 #17, then in Iron Man vol 3 #1, then in Uncanny X-Men #353, then in X-Men vol 2 #73)
Bishop (last in Silver Surfer vol 3 #123; next behind the scenes in X-Man #22, then in X-Man #23, then in Cable #41, then in Wolverine vol 2 #111, then in Uncanny X-Men #341-345, after which he leaves the X-Men)
Gambit (last in X-Men '96; next in X-Men Unlimited vol 1 #14, then in Wolverine vol 2 #111, then in Uncanny X-Men #341-350, after which he leaves the X-Men)

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Iceman (between X-Men '96 and Wolverine vol 2 #111)
Trish Tilby (between Venom: On Trial #3 and Uncanny X-Men #341)

VILLAIN
The Gamesmaster (last in X-Force vol 1 #61; no further appearances)

Written: [  ] September 2005

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